Are methods allowed to be shared?
#11
Elenore can only copyright her instructions, not the technique the chain piecing in itself. The same applies to strip piecing, which is a techinque.
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Lived in San Diego now retired in Eagar, AZ.
Posts: 887
An idea, technique or a method can not be copyrighted. What is copyrighted is the writing of it. You can write it in another way to explain it, in your words.
Elenore can only copyright her instructions, not the technique the chain piecing in itself. The same applies to strip piecing, which is a techinque.
Elenore can only copyright her instructions, not the technique the chain piecing in itself. The same applies to strip piecing, which is a techinque.
#14
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: dallas tx.
Posts: 5,172
When something has a copyright on it. That is it. The students must be required to buy the book, unless they have written permission from the copyright owner. Artists have been fighting over this forever. People copy their paintings, they can be sued, and are. I had an art teacher suing another person, for copying one of his paintings almost perfectly.
#15
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 41,502
I can't begin to figure it all out so I err on the side of caution. I think it is all a bit silly really because we are all building on a rich quilting heritage. A lot of the "new" patterns and quilts are actually old patterns renamed (I hate that by the way) or changed slightly. It is kind of sad that everything is about money and ownership.
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 947
Eleanor certainly didn't invent strip or chain piecing. She's done a nice job of teaching it, and popularizing it. But she can't "own" the technique. She can own the books she's written. She can trademark and copyright her specialty rulers. But you and I are free to show a friend how we did the technique.
When it comes to a shop and teaching a technique -- it gets tricky. Obviously, they want to sell the books and make some profit there. But I personally will not pay for an expensive book, plus the class, and the supplies (sometimes mandated to be purchased at the shop).
I think it gets interesting when people try to copyright a pattern that is very basic -- so simple that you can see by looking at it exactly how to construct it. They may choose to sell a pattern or a tutorial, and they can copyright their pattern or blog or articles in magazines. But legally, they can't copyright the block. Because I am fairly experienced and can draft my own patterns, I very rarely purchase patterns. Recently I have bought patterns occasionally, only to be very frustrated by the poor techniques, inaccurate yardages, and basically poor writing. It's pretty annoying -- shelling out $10 I could have spent on fabric, to get shoddy directions for something simple enough to do improvisationally. I do try to give credit when I use someone else's ideas or basic design, even to say "inspired by __ by __". But I think I'm pretty much done buying patterns and books.
When it comes to a shop and teaching a technique -- it gets tricky. Obviously, they want to sell the books and make some profit there. But I personally will not pay for an expensive book, plus the class, and the supplies (sometimes mandated to be purchased at the shop).
I think it gets interesting when people try to copyright a pattern that is very basic -- so simple that you can see by looking at it exactly how to construct it. They may choose to sell a pattern or a tutorial, and they can copyright their pattern or blog or articles in magazines. But legally, they can't copyright the block. Because I am fairly experienced and can draft my own patterns, I very rarely purchase patterns. Recently I have bought patterns occasionally, only to be very frustrated by the poor techniques, inaccurate yardages, and basically poor writing. It's pretty annoying -- shelling out $10 I could have spent on fabric, to get shoddy directions for something simple enough to do improvisationally. I do try to give credit when I use someone else's ideas or basic design, even to say "inspired by __ by __". But I think I'm pretty much done buying patterns and books.
#18
Super Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 9,490
How timely - I just ran across this "How copyright affects the quilter". Maybe it will help...
http://www.canadianquilter.com/pdf/Copyright.pdf
http://www.canadianquilter.com/pdf/Copyright.pdf
#19
When something has a copyright on it. That is it. The students must be required to buy the book, unless they have written permission from the copyright owner. Artists have been fighting over this forever. People copy their paintings, they can be sued, and are. I had an art teacher suing another person, for copying one of his paintings almost perfectly.
#20
I can't post the instructions or pictures how to make a Four Patch Posey from the bought pattern but I can post pictures or video of me making it. Many designers have rules that are printed right under the copyright but rules are not law and that is where a lot of confusion comes in to play. Art is a whole different kettle of fish.
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